Who is “FNU LNU", the Civilian Interpreter in Iraq?
Gordon Lubold
ArmyTimes.com, VA
________________
New York (US):
His name, for now, is “FNU LNU.”A civilian interpreter in Iraq who had worked for the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and received “high-level clearance” to classified information has been charged with making false statements about his true identity, according to an affidavit filed in a New York federal court.
The U.S. government refers to the man by the initials “FNU” and “LNU” — first name unknown and last name unknown — and the U.S. military, the FBI and other officials are trying to find out who he is and whether any breach of security occurred while he worked as an interpreter for a Pentagon contractor.The man, who claimed he was Lebanese and had — at various times — said his name was “Abu Hakim,” “Noureddine Malki,” “Almaliki Nour” and “Almalik Nour Eddin,” most likely is from Morocco and does not actually use any of those names, according to documents filed in a U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
Titan Corp., which provides the Army with as many as 4,000 Arabic interpreters in Iraq, hired him as a civilian interpreter in August 2003 and he went to work for the Army’s 82nd Airborne. The issue of his true identity arose when officials began a second background check to determine if the security clearance he had been given should remain in force. He was questioned by government officials in New York in September.
A Titan spokesman said he was aware of the situation but could not verify any facts. He referred calls to Titan’s new parent company, L-3 Communications, based in New York. A spokesman there had not returned calls as of Thursday evening.
Oct 21, 2005
Gordon Lubold
ArmyTimes.com, VA
________________
New York (US):
His name, for now, is “FNU LNU.”A civilian interpreter in Iraq who had worked for the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and received “high-level clearance” to classified information has been charged with making false statements about his true identity, according to an affidavit filed in a New York federal court.
The U.S. government refers to the man by the initials “FNU” and “LNU” — first name unknown and last name unknown — and the U.S. military, the FBI and other officials are trying to find out who he is and whether any breach of security occurred while he worked as an interpreter for a Pentagon contractor.The man, who claimed he was Lebanese and had — at various times — said his name was “Abu Hakim,” “Noureddine Malki,” “Almaliki Nour” and “Almalik Nour Eddin,” most likely is from Morocco and does not actually use any of those names, according to documents filed in a U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
Titan Corp., which provides the Army with as many as 4,000 Arabic interpreters in Iraq, hired him as a civilian interpreter in August 2003 and he went to work for the Army’s 82nd Airborne. The issue of his true identity arose when officials began a second background check to determine if the security clearance he had been given should remain in force. He was questioned by government officials in New York in September.
A Titan spokesman said he was aware of the situation but could not verify any facts. He referred calls to Titan’s new parent company, L-3 Communications, based in New York. A spokesman there had not returned calls as of Thursday evening.
Oct 21, 2005
